Saw the rheumatologist today

He took about 4 or 5 vials of blood. He seems to think that it is fibromyalgia, and that I need to continue doing what I'm doing and hopefully it won't get worse.

I'm taking it in. Feeling kind of resolved and kind of numb. Not sure how I feel about it yet. So if you could pray for me, I'd really appreciate it!

Mothers.....listen up!

Now, I know you didn't give birth to your children so you could get free stuff, but since we are often overworked and under-appreciated, how about some contests since you did give birth and and have the stretch marks to prove it?

Mosey on over to the fantastic contests at 5 Minutes for Mom by clicking on the button above! These ladies know how to do contests right, so I'm sure you're going to find something you'd like!

And bless you for giving birth to your heart in human form!

A winner! A winner! It's time to choose a winner!

I had my sons pick a number between 1 and 336 to choose a winner. If, for some reason, the number poster who Isaac chose does not respond, then I will go to the one that Adam chose!

Isaac chose #280, who was alison! Alison, I sent you and email and hope to hear from you soon!

Thank you all so much for all your comments and participation! I am going to try my best to visit each of your blogs, though it may take me a while!!

It's Bloggy Giveaways Carnival time!

**I'm stickying this post...scroll down for newer posts! Thanks!**

I can't believe it is that time again! One of my favorite events in blogdom! And I let it slip up on me, so I don't have any fantastically grand plans, so how about a grab bag?? And for sure it will contain some sort of gift card....either to Wal*Mart, Target, or Starbucks! And some more goodies to boot! Edited to add: sorry, ya'll, I can only afford to ship to the continental U.S. at this time!

All you have to do to enter is leave some sort of comment...anything at all.....and I'll randomly choose a winner next Sunday, April 27 by 11 pm! Couldn't be any easier, huh??

Don't forget to check out the full list of participating blogs here!

Get ready for a FANTASTIC time! Thanks for stopping by, and please don't let it be a one time visit!

I had a dream about ya'll!

I dreamed last night that I was at our local drugstore picking out the things to include in my grab bag! It was very realistic! Isn't that funny?!

I messed up days ago and am still paying for it!

I did a dumb thing on Saturday. I was getting ready for Chris' cousin's wedding shower and didn't take the time to stop and eat something. By the time I did, it was too late--my blood sugar had gotten so low I had a huge headache and was nauseous. I ended up leaving the shower early to go lay down at Chris' parents' house, where I barely spoke to my father-in-law, brother-in-law, and nephew and laid down for about an hour. I don't know if I then got a touch of something on top of that, or that affected my body so but somehow, for whatever reason, I've felt like crud ever since.

I went to Sunday School and most of church yesterday. Slept the rest of the afternoon and most of the evening, and pretty well all night, too. I determined yesterday evening that it probably wouldn't be the best thing for me to try to work, so did a very rare thing for me....I took a Monday off. See, we send home folders w/homework on Mondays, and I just hate to get that routine off, so I usually drag myself in unless I'm dying or one of the kids is really sick. I didn't even get up and go to school and leave plans like I usually would. I called a coworker and asked for her to lay some stuff out for me and asked for a sub who I knew could handle it without great directions. In other words, I must feel pretty bad.

I've slept all morning. I got up around 1:15 and have eaten something and determined that daytime tv stinks, and now I think I'll lay back down til my friend and coworker brings Isaac home around 4. I've got to work on picking up the house and figure out what I'm going to do for a webquest for class tomorrow night. Any ideas? We have to stay til 7:30 tomorrow night to make up for a class we missed, so won't a 12 hour day be a great way to jump back into the land of the living tomorrow?!

If you read this, please comment, cause I feel so lonely sometimes with no comments! *insert pitiful look here*

The name game!

One of my friends' blogs had this today and I felt like playing along!

The Name Game.....

Here's a fun little name game to play. I'm not going to tag anyone, but copy and play along. Let me know in the comments if you do.

1. Your rock star name (first pet, current car)......Missy Bravada

2. Your gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe)......Moose Tracks Sandals

3. Your Native American name (favorite color, favorite animal)......Orange Cat

4. Your soap opera name (middle name, city where you were born)......oh heavens, Gay Kingsport

5. Your Star Wars name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name......Stach

6. Superhero name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink)......Blue Coke

7. NASCAR name (the first names of your grandfathers).......Robert William

8. Stripper name (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)......Mango Melon Reese's

9. TV weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a city that starts with the same letter).......Sandt St. Louis

10. Spy name (your favorite season/holiday, flower)......Christmas Sweet Pea

11. Cartoon name: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now)......Cantelope Jeans

12. Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree).......Biscuit Dogwood

13. "Adult Film" star name (first pet, first street where you lived)......Missy Holston Terrace


Is it me, or are all of mine weird sounding??

Now, it is your turn to do it...Remember, let me know in the comments if you play along.

How's Your Spelling?

Your Spelling is Good

You got 9/10 correct. Your spelling is generally pretty decent. You are prone to a few mistakes, but the mistakes you make are pretty forgivable.

How's Your Spelling?

Wordless Wednesday--Cruise!

Only sixty some days til we go!! Woo hoo!

Just watched The Memory Keeper's Daughter

on Lifetime. I loved the book, but the movie, as is often the case with books turned into movies, left much of the story out...and therefore lost much of the beauty of the book. Entire subplots were left out, so therefore you missed out on the significance of many of the things going on. It was a movie that probably looked great to someone who hadn't read the book, but sadly lacking to those who had.

Another thing that bothers me is that this story was supposed to have a setting of Lexington, KY, but was filmed in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Why couldn't it be filmed in Lexington, or at least in the same COUNTRY? I understand that it is often cheaper to film in other countries, but you miss out on part of the story when you don't know anything about the area where it was supposed to have happened. Another one of the 'filmed on location' movies that was NOT was Cold Mountain. This movie was set in the Appalachian mountains, but was filmed in New Zealand!

A movie is in the works for a book set in one of my hometowns (remember, I'm a preacher's kid....never lived in one place for more than 5 years growing up!), Big Stone Gap, Virginia. If this movie is filmed elsewhere, it will lose SO much of the local flavor that Adriana Trigiani so lovingly weaved into the story. I KNOW some of the people that she based characters on in the story! I was in the drama that she refers to, and my husband is assistant principal at a school that she refers to as well. And Jack Mac, an important character in the four book series.....I hugged the REAL Jack Mac's neck at a mutual friend's funeral this past summer. So it would be a real travesty for this movie not to be filmed in the town on whose local oddities and idiosyncrasies it was based.

If you'd like to learn more about Big Stone Gap and the movement to film it there, please visit Film Big Stone Gap in the Gap!

1. I love springtime in the mountains! I love to see the different trees and flowers blooming!
2. Omlettes and bacon are foods I love to eat for breakfast.
3. It seems I'm always searching for someone's clean socks or underwear!
4. A new tv episode is a great way to end the day.
5. I think I need a haircut!
6. Bacon or ham pizza is what I've been craving lately.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching a movie with the family, tomorrow my plans include a wedding shower and a baby shower, and Sunday, I want to take a nap!

Wordless Wednesday--We Are Marshall

Just finished watching this movie, and I can't stop crying!!

Posted today....

...at my other blog! Go visit there if you wish from my profile!!

How about a Random Thoughts With Christi post?!

Here we go!

First, I am addicted to a new online game. It is called Fashion Story. I have conquered it in online mode and it isn't available for Mac, so I am sad.

Today was a BEEEEEEAUTIFUL spring day! I'm ready for it! Except for finding my clothes. That I haven't done, and I'm woefully low on clean clothing right now...so might have to go searchin' in the morning!

I am so blessed to work with some wonderful Christian women!! On Friday, my coworker L. called me all THRILLED because her mother had just accepted Christ as her Savior! It was an answer to many, many years of prayer! And then after hearing about L.'s mom, K's daughter went to the altar yesterday at church and accepted Christ as well! How awesome is that?! And L. and I had a fantastic conversation with requests for prayer with T. during a break time....God is so good, and He has blessed me with so much. I so need to focus on that instead of the things I cannot control that I have been letting get me down lately. God has those things in control, too, and His time is perfect! He has a plan, and I just need to let go and trust Him!

OK, that was a small sermon. I digress.

I am thinking seriously about trying South Beach Diet again. I figured out that it is basically what I was doing last year when I lost about 10 lbs. So I know it works, and I'm not hungry, I just need to get my self in the mode and GO! Cause it is only 67 days til our cruise.....EEEEEEEK! And that means me in a bathing suit with my skinny sisters! EEEEEEEEEEK! OK, that should be motivation enough right there, huh?

Ok. So. Well. Keep typing....keep typing...thoughts will come.......I got nothin'.

So I guess I will end it there! Have a grrrrrreat (a la Tony the Tiger) week!

*~*~GUESS WHAT?!?!*~*~

My niece competed in a local dance competition yesterday and then went to the workshops that were connected to it today. Guess where she won a scholarship to??




THE JOFFREY BALLET!!

We're not sure exactly what it is for, a summer intensive, a class, or what, but it doesn't matter...she can say she danced at Joffrey!! I am SOOOOO thrilled for her!!!

I'll share more details as I find them out!!

More on singing at the Dome Cathedral

This past Wednesday, I couldn't really get inspired to use anything for my wordless post, so I just went through my pics until something struck me. I'd love to tell you more about it!

I went to Austria and Hungary with Emory & Henry College's Concert Choir my senior year. It was SUCH an awesome experience! I had a blast and it was quite an honor to get to sing in a country so rich in musical heritage. I loved seeing places that were seen in The Sound of Music, and we also had some fun times in the clubs at night! But one of the highlights was definitely singing for New Year's Day Mass at the Dome Cathedral in Salzburg.

Our choir director is an amazing man. He can get you so into the music that you don't even notice what else might be going on in the room. He is one of the people I respect most in the world! So when we got to sing in the place where Mozart was baptised, we all knew that he would be so very honored and humbled.

Now, mind you, this cathedral is HUGE....there is a 7 second echo from where we were singing to the end of the cathedral, so we really had to pay attention to Doc to make sure we were hearing our pitches instead of what we had been singing 7 seconds ago! It was also C*O*L*D! There was no such thing as central heat in the time it was built, so we just had to layer underneath our dresses and tuxes and just shiver our way through it...all the better to concentrate on Doc, too!


We did sing a few selections during the mass. It was in German, so we didn't understand a lot, but the ritual was familiar. After the conclusion of the service, some Americans that were there wanted to get pictures of us, so we traipsed back up to the risers to line up. We smiled for the cameras, and then realized that some of the congregation had come up to the front, thinking that we were going to perform again. We clued Doc in that they thought we were going to sing, and he, being the Performance man he is, was glad to oblige! We did several more songs that we did not do during the service, and moved to conclude with "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" as we did all our concerts.

We always hold hands while singing this, which also brings more emotion as we had formed such bonds already on this trip. We were singing, and Doc started weeping as he directed us. He was overcome with emotion at WHERE we were, at the enormity of singing where the masters had walked, and we all started crying too! But I tell you, I knew in that moment what the angels must feel when they sing. It was a very spiritual moment! And afterwards, we all stood around hugging and just basically loving each other. It was a moment I will never forget...I could almost cry just remembering it. God was truly with us that day!

The interview went well!

Chris came by school in his new suit today and everyone was impressed! He feels like it went well, even though we figure they already have picked out who they want in the job. But you never know!

Went out to eat with my BFF tonight! We ate at Stir Fry Cafeand were thrilled to hear that they are opening one closer to us! Woohoo!

And tomorrow will be a fairly relaxed one, thankfully!

My hubby has a job interview tomorrow!

If you would send good thoughts and prayers our way, we certainly would appreciate it! He is interviewing for a principal position within our county. He is one of six being interviewed. This would be quite a change in lifestyle for us, as he would be working away from home more, but he would also be making quite a bit more money. I know that if it is in God's plan it will happen! We didn't expect that he would get an assistant's position as quickly as he did, but God had that handled too!

In other news, I went to a very neat baby shower tonight....for seven pregnant teachers at our school! We had a nice Italian dinner, and gave them each a laundry basket full of goodies and a gift card to Target! And the neat thing is, there is also one more teacher pregnant, and two that taught at our school last year are pregnant too!

I'm having quite a bit of back pain today. If you could say a prayer for that as well, that would be great!

Wordless Wednesday--The Dome Cathedral

The most amazing place, short of Heaven, that I can ever expect to sing!

Retro is so....

I am such a retro girl. I listen to retro music, I love to watch retro tv shows, and today I've been watching retro children's shows! We found The Letter People on You Tube and have been watching it! It may be cheesy, but it does grab kids' attention! Then I moseyed over to eBay and looked at vintage Fisher-Price Little People. Oh, how hard it was not to buy some!

What about you? Are you a today gal or a retro woman like me??